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Greece Travel Media Touchpoints in the Consumer Path to Purchase

Date: Oct 2011

Agenda

•  Methodology

•  General travel behaviour

•  Booking behaviour

•  Research behaviour

•  Summary

2

Methodology Vertical Deep Dive Travel Greece

•  Target group: Internet user in Greece, 18 years and older

•  Sample: n=1,000 Internet users

•  Methodology: –  Online Questionnaire

–  Weighting based on a representative telephone survey (please see next slide)

•  Period of analysis: –  Fieldwork: September 23th – October 7th 2011

–  Final Report: October 28th 2011

•  Research company: TNS Infratest

3

4 4

General travel behaviour

Short trips (up to 4 days)

Holiday trips (more than 4 days)

Travel frequency past 12 months

Q4: How often have you been on short trips (overall length of up to 4 days) and / or on holiday trips (overall length of more than 4 days) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000; answer categories ‘Not at all’ / ‘Don’t know’

Travel frequency past 12 months All respondents

Two times Three times Once Four times and more

74% were both on at least one short trip and at

least one holiday trip

Greek onliners are frequent travellers: almost 75% spend at least one short trip and at least one holiday trip in the past 12 months

22%

47%

24%

21%

17%

7% 8%

25%

83%

88%

5

In what season did you spend trips in the past 12 months? Travellers of the past 12 months

Travel season

Q5: In what season did you spend short and /or holiday trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830

Short trip Holiday trip

Obviously summer time is the preferred season for spending holiday trips – for short trips spring and winter are quite popular as well

Summer

Spring

Winter

Fall

66%

55%

43%

34%

Summer

Winter

Spring

Fall

86%

14%

14%

10%

6

Domestic destinations

Western Europe

Southern Europe

Destinations outside Europe

Eastern Europe

Northern Europe

Regions visited past 12 months

Q7: Which of the following destinations have you travelled to (…) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830

Domestic destinations

Southern Europe

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Northern Europe

Destinations outside Europe

92%

9%

7%

6%

2%

1%

Regions visited on trips Travellers of the past 12 months


Staying domestic very popular among Greek onliners: the vast majority of those who travelled within the past 12 months spend time in Greece

84%

11%

10%

8%

7%

2%

7

Other destinations in Greece

Thessaloniki, Athens, Iraklion

Italy

United Kingdom

France

Central Eastern Europe

USA, Canada

Germany

Spain

Northern Europe

Other destinations in Greece

Thessaloniki, Athens, Iraklion

Italy

Bulgaria

Netherlands

Turkey

Central Eastern Europe

Germany

Romania

Albania

73%

33%

3%

3%

3%

3%

3%

2%

2%

2%

Destination visited past 12 months – Top 10

Q7: Which of the following destinations have you travelled to (…) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830

Top 10 destinations Travellers of the past 12 months


One third of the short trip travellers visited Thessaloniki, Athens or Iraklion – Italy is the most popular destination for holiday trips abroad

72%

18%

6%

4%

4%

4%

4%

4%

3%

2%

8

Type of short trip – Top 10

For which purposes did you conduct short trips? Short trip travellers

Q6: For which of the following purposes did you conduct your short trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months n=878

Visiting family & friends 55%

City break 52%

Fun & entertainment 43%

Sun & beach 42%

Wellness & relaxation 33%

Holiday with children 21%

Culture 12%

Sport & activity 10%

Winter sport 9%

Luxury 5%

9

Visiting family members and friends or spending a city break are the most popular motives for going on short trips

Type of holiday holiday trip – Top 10

For which purposes did you conduct holiday trips? Holiday trip travellers

Q6: For which of the following purposes did you conduct your holiday trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months n=830

Sun & beach 63%

Fun & entertainment 43%

Wellness & relaxation 36%

Holiday with children 31%

City break 29%

Visiting family & friends 24%

Culture 19%

Luxury 8%

Sport & activity 5%

Cruise 4%

Enjoying a typical sun and beach vacation is clearly the prevailing motive for going on a holiday trip

10

Type of accommodation

Type of accommodation Travellers of the past 12 months

Q9: And which types of accommodation did you use for the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830; answer categories ‘Other’ and ‘Don’t know’ not shown


On short trips private accommodation is very common (in line with the prevailing travel motive) – hotels are first choice for holiday trips

Home of friends, relatives

Hotel

Rented apartment / holiday home

Own apartment / holiday home

B&B, guesthouse

Camping, caravan, mobile home

51%

46%

21%

19%

13%

10%

Hotel

Home of friends, relatives

Rented apartment / holiday home

Own apartment / holiday home

Camping, caravan, mobile home

B&B, guesthouse

43%

33%

23%

21%

10%

6%

11

Means of transport – short trip Travellers of the past 12 months

Means of transport – short trip

Q8: And which means of transport did you use for your short trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers n=878, answer categories ‘Don’t know’ / ‘Other’ not shown

Own car 72%

Ferry 22%

Bus / coach 19%

Motorbike / moped 5%

Rail / train 10%

Air travel 21%

Cruise ship 2%

Rental car 4%

In line with the preference for staying domestic the most popular means of transport for going on a short trip is the own car

12

Means of transport – holiday trip Travellers of the past 12 months

Means of transport – holiday trip

Q8: And which means of transport did you use for your holiday trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers n=830, answer categories ‘Don’t know’ / ‘Other’ not shown

Own car 56%

Rental car 7%

Motorbike / moped 4%

Apart from taking the own car travelling by ferry or air plane are popular means of transport for going on holiday trips

13

Ferry

Air travel

37%

33%

Bus / coach

Rail / train

14%

9%

Cruise ship 2%

Accommodation + transportation

Only accommodation

Only transportation

Travel package

No booking in advance

Don't know / No answer

Only accommodation

Accommodation + transportation

Only transportation

Travel package

No booking in advance

Don't know / No answer

31%

21%

13%

13%

39%

3%

Trip organization

Trip organization Travellers of the past 12 months

Q11: Which of the following options did you choose for organising the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830

29%

26%

21%

15%

26%

4%

5% with the same

provider

8% with the same

provider


The majority of the travellers made bookings prior to their trips, typically accommodation bookings – often combined with transportation

14

Annual travel budget per household

Q10: How much money do you in your household usually spend per year on travelling for private purpose? Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000

Annual travel budget per household All respondents

Average budget:

Ø 1,850 EUR

2001 – 4000 €

1001 – 2000 €

501 – 1000 €

Less than 500 €

No answer

19%

24%

28%

12%

2%3%13%

70%

4001 – 6000 €

More than 6000 €

The vast majority of the Greek onliners has a travel budget of up to 2,000 Euro - the average budget is 1,850 Euro

15

16

1 Greek onliners are frequent travellers: almost 75% spend both at least one short trip and at least one holiday trip in the past 12 months.

2 Dominant motive for going on a holiday trip is relaxing in the sun whereas for short trips city breaks or visits at familiy and friends are typical.

3 Greek onliners prefer to stay domestic: short and holiday trips are most frequently spent within Greece – Italy is the most popular destination for trips abroad.

4 Corresponding with the preference for domestic destinations the prevailing means of transport is the own car – for holiday trips ferry trips and flights are relevant too.

5 The most common way of organizing a trip is booking either only accommodation (short trips) or accommodation and transportation (holiday trips).

6 Among Greek online households the average travel budget per year is 1,850 EUR.

Wrap up general travel behaviour

17 17

Booking behaviour

Online

Offline

Online

Offline

Online

Offline

Online

Offline

Online

Offline

Booking channels - overview Spread of online as a place of purchase differs per travel product – clearly preferred for air travel and strong for accommodation bookings

18

Which of the following methods did you use for your booking? Bookers per travel product and trip type

Accommodation bookers

Air travel bookers

Travel package bookers

Bus travel bookers

Train travel bookers


Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=111 or accommodation n=405 or air travel n=128 or bus travel n=121 or train travel n=71; Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=122 or accommodation n=415 or air travel n=206 or bus travel n=80 or train travel n=48

65%

66%

85%

25%

42%

66%

25%

73%

17%

83%

66%

62%

69%

32%

49%

65%

24%

82%

26%

80%*! Low incidence n<70

*!

*!

Offline (net)

By phone directly with the hotel

Personal visit at the hotel

Personal visit at a travel agency

Personal visit at a tour operator

By phone with a travel agent

By phone with the tour operator

Online (net)

Via the internet directly through a hotel portal

Via the internet directly with the hotel

Via the internet with a travel agency

Via the internet with a tour operator

66%

52%

10%

10%

7%

7%

5%

65%

37%

36%

12%

5%

Booking channels - accommodation Booking with hotel portals or direct bookings at hotel websites are the preferred channels for accommodation bookings via the internet

Booking channels – accommodation Accommodation bookers

Online booking

Offline booking

Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked accommodation for a short trip n=405 or a holiday trip n=415


66%

36%

34%

16%

6%

62%

44%

13%

11%

7%

6%

6%

19

Offline (net)



By phone directly with the airline


Personal visit at the airline


Online (net)


Via the internet directly with the airline


25%

11%

11%

8%

7%

5%

5%

85%

52%

47%

7%

Booking channels – air travel

Air travel bookings are predominantly placed online – websites of travel agencies as well as direct bookings with the airline are most popular

Booking channels – air travel Air travel bookers

Online booking

Offline booking

Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked air travel for a short trip n=128 or a holiday trip n=206


32%

12%

6%

5%

4%

8%

5%

69%

37%

31%

8%

20

Offline (net)

Personal visit at the train operator



By phone directly with the train operator



Online (net)

Via the internet directly with the train operator



83%

53%

23%

19%

14%

9%

9%

17%

12%

10%

7%

Booking channels – train travel

The majority of those who booked train tickets for their short or holiday trips bought them directly at the train operator

Booking channels – train travel Train travel bookers

Online booking

Offline booking

Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked train travel for a short trip n=71 or a holiday trip n=48

Short trip Holiday trip !*

80%

54%

0%

1%

13%

16%

14%

26%

22%

3%

3%

21

!* low incidence: n<70

Online (net)

Via the internet directly with the bus operator



Offline (net)

Personal visit at the bus operator

By phone directly with the bus operator





73%

53%

25%

9%

7%

6%

4%

25%

14%

13%

9%

Booking channels – bus travel

Bus tickets are typically bought offline either directly e. g. in a bus station or by phone with the bus operator

Booking channels – bus travel Bus travel bookers

Online booking

Offline booking

Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked bus travel for a short trip n=121 or a holiday trip n=80

Short trip

82%

49%

33%

16%

9%

3%

3%

24%

7%

12%

8%

22

Holiday trip

Offline (net)





Online (net)



66%

31%

19%

18%

15%

42%

37%

15%

Booking channels – travel package

Buying travel packages on the internet is quite popular – websites of travel agencies are first choice in this respect

Booking channels – travel package Travel package bookers

Online booking

Offline booking

Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package for a short trip n=111 or a holiday trip n=122

Short trip

49%

38%

22%

65%

31%

21%

20%

21%

23

Holiday trip

89% 24% 10% 4%

91% 24% 5% 5%

Accommodation online bookers

Air travel online bookers

Travel package online bookers !*

Bus travel online bookers

Train travel online bookers

Which devices did you use for your short trip online booking? Online bookers - short trip

Devices used for online booking – short trip

Q14: Which of the following devices did you use in order to make your online booking? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked online for a short trip: accommodation n=261; air travel n=109; travel package n=47; bus travel n=30; train travel n=12

For online bookings of short trips stationary internet at home is the predominant access point – mobile shares somewhat established

PC at home Mobile/ smartphone Tablet PC PC at work

24


Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=30 cases



Accommodation online bookers

Air travel online bookers

Travel package online bookers !*

Bus travel online bookers !*

Train travel online bookers !!**

Devices used for online booking – holiday trip

Q15: Which of the following devices did you use in order to make your online booking? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked online for a holiday trip: accommodation n=272; air travel n=143; travel package n=59; bus travel n=19; train travel n=13

Stationary internet is the prevailing access point for booking holiday trips on the internet – mobile devices already with noticeable shares

94% 17% 7% 6%

92% 17% 8% 8%

89% 26% 14% 15%

PC at home Mobile/ smartphone Tablet PC PC at work

25

Which devices did you use for your holiday trip online booking? Online bookers - holiday trip




Influence factors travel bookings – Top 3

1.

2.

3.

6.

7.

9.

8.

5.

4.

Q27: How important were the following influence factors for your decision to book your latest holiday trip? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000

Greek onliners are strongly price-driven when booking holidays – destination and accommodation category play a major role as well

26

83% Price

78% Destination

44% Accommodation category

15% On-site activities

14%

9% Loyalty with the tour operator

13%

16% Political and ecological stability

27% Availability at a considered date

Individual composing

Recommendations by family or friends

I can find cheaper trips in comparison with booking at a travel agency

I can choose from a wide range of trips / offers

I can easily compare offers of several travel providers

I’m not limited to opening hours and working days

I can learn more about other consumers’ experiences

I can individually compose the components of my trip

72%

66%

65%

61%

44%

42%

Drivers for buying online

Drivers for buying online All respondents

Q20: What are from your perspective reasons for booking holiday trips on the internet? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000

Lower prices are the most frequently stated driver for booking online - assortment, easy comparison and 24/7 availability contribute as well

27

I’ve got security concerns when booking on the internet

I cannot get personal consultancy on the internet

I do not have a credit card

I’m used to book holiday trips at travel agencies

I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information offered on the internet

Booking on the internet is too complicated

Individual trips are difficult to book

Branches of travel agencies / tour operators offer better prices

I’ve made negative experiences with online booking in the past

45%

29%

27%

14%

10%

7%

6%

5%

4%

Barriers for buying online

Barriers for buying online All respondents

Q21: And what are from your perspective reasons for NOT booking holiday trips on the internet? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000

Security concerns need to be resolved in order to push online as a sales channel for travel products

28

Statements travel research

Well-known providers are preferred but however the price is decisive: Almost every Greek onliner has a fixed budget that should not be exceeded

I have a fixed budget for my trips that I don‘t want to exceed

If the price is attractive I don't mind who the provider or tour operator is

I prefer travelling with well-known providers or tour operators

Package trips are cheaper than putting one together yourself

I am prepared to pay more money for a better quality trip

For holiday bookings I prefer to get all travel services from the same source

I am willing to pay more for a trip when I can individually compose options

The planning of my holidays is strongly influenced by the internet

In how far do you agree with the following statements? All respondents

37%

16%

14%

14%

12%

16%

12%

10%

45%

37%

38%

35%

34%

28%

28%

28%

53%

52%

50%

47%

44%

40%

38%

81%

Q33: Below, you will find a list of statements regarding the preparation and booking of holiday trips. Please indicate to which extent you agree with each statement. Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000

Definitely agree Rather agree

29

1 The internet is an important booking channel for travel activities among Greek onliners and particularly strong for air travel and accommodation bookings.

2 Plane tickets are preferably booked directly at airline websites or with travel agencies. For accommodation bookings hotel portals or hotel websites are very popular.

3 Price and destination are the most important influence factors for booking a trip. Good pricing is perceived as a driver for buying online. In order to further push online as a sales channels particularly security concerns need to be resolved.

4 High satisfaction among the online bookers leads to high recommendation rates for travel websites: 2/3 of the online bookers would recommend their provider.

5 Stationary internet at home is still the dominant access point for travel bookings. However, mobile devices (smarthpones / tablets) already receive noticeable shares.

Wrap up – booking behaviour

30

31 31

Research behaviour

Decisions taken before short trip

The vast majority of the short trip travellers had already decided about the trip destination and organization in advance of their trip Decisions taken before short trip

Short trip travellers of the past 12 months

I knew exactly where to go and how to organise the trip

I knew exactly where to go but I had not decided on the trip

organisation

I did not know where to go but I had an idea about the trip

organisation

14% 7% 23%

69%

I did not know where to go and I had no idea

about the trip organisation

Q22: How decided were you regarding the destination and the organisation (e. g. means of transport, type of holiday, accommodation category) of these trips? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months n=878

32

Decisions taken before holiday trip

Decisions taken before holiday trip Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months

I knew exactly where to go and how to organise the trip

I knew exactly where to go but I had not decided on the trip

organisation

I did not know where to go but I had an idea about the trip

organisation

13% 9% 22%

66%

I did not know where to go and I had no idea

about the trip organisation

Q22: How decided were you regarding the destination and the organisation (e. g. means of transport, type of holiday, accommodation category) of these trips? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months n=830

33

The vast majority of the holiday trip travellers had already decided about the trip destination and organization in advance of their trip

34

Finding inspiration

Finding inspiration for a trip Travellers of the last 12 months

Search engines are the most frequently used online source for finding trip inspiration: more than half of the travellers used them in this respect

Q23: Which of the sources below did you use in order to find inspiration or ideas for the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970

Online (net)

Search engines

Tourism web pages

Websites of accommodation facilities

Websites of online travel agencies

Websites of tour operators

Social networks

Relevant forums

Websites of transportation companies

Videos portals

Blogs

80%

52%

42%

38%

28%

18%

16%

15%

13%

8%

7%

Online sources Offline sources

Offline (net)

Talks with friends or colleagues

Catalogues or travel guides

TV

Newspapers or magazines

With consultant at travel agency

Radio

81%

70%

33%

22%

21%

7%

5%

35

Finding destinations

Q24: And which of the sources below did you use in order to decide about the destination place for your short and / or holiday trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970

Finding destinations for a trip Travellers of the last 12 months

Among the online sources search engines are the preferred source in order to explore interesting trip destinations

Online (net)

Search engines


Tourism web pages




Relevant forums

Social networks

Blogs

Videos portals

77%

47%

35%

33%

25%

17%

13%

12%

12%

7%

6%


Offline (net)




TV


Radio

78%

65%

28%

22%

19%

9%

5%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Bookers per travel product

36 36

Purchase decision support – travel products

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=184 or accommodation n=610 or air travel n=268 or bus travel n=165 or train travel n=105

Online sources are crucial for supporting booking decisions and particularly strong for accommodation, air and train travel bookings

Accommodation bookers

Air travel bookers

Travel package bookers

Train travel bookers

Bus travel bookers

At least one online information source used for decision support

81%

69%

At least one offline information source used for decision support

78%

62%

78%

79%

50%

55%

72%

39%

37

Purchase decision support – accommodation

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked accommodation n=610

Accommodation websites, search engines and tourism web pages are the top online sources supporting decisions on accommodation bookings


Offline (net)




TV


Radio

69%

56%

28%

17%

10%

7%

5%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Accommodation bookers

Online (net)


Search engines

Tourism web pages


Relevant forums

Videos portals



Social networks

Blogs

81%

44%

40%

35%

22%

11%

9%

9%

9%

9%

6%

38

Purchase decision support – air travel

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked air travel n=268

Search is the top online source for decision support on plane tickets: 1/3 of the air travel bookers used a search engine prior to their booking


Offline (net)





TV

Radio

62%

46%

11%

11%

8%

5%

2%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Air travel bookers

Online (net)

Search engines




Tourism web pages


Social networks

Blogs

Relevant forums

Videos portals

78%

33%

31%

29%

13%

12%

8%

6%

4%

4%

3%

39

Purchase decision support – travel package

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=184

Online (net)

Search engines




Tourism web pages


Blogs

Videos portals

Relevant forums

Social networks

78%

29%

28%

23%

22%

19%

15%

9%

7%

5%

5%


Offline (net)





TV

Radio

79%

54%

28%

28%

25%

10%

6%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Travel package bookers

Search engines and online travel agencies are the most frequently considered online sources prior to a travel package booking

40

Purchase decision support – bus travel

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked bus travel n=165


Offline (net)





Radio

TV

55%

41%

12%

7%

7%

3%

2%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Bus travel bookers

Online (net)

Search engines


Tourism web pages



Social networks

Relevant forums

Blogs


Videos portals

50%

25%

17%

12%

10%

8%

7%

7%

3%

2%

1%

Decision-making on bus tickets is strongly impacted by personal consultancy from friends – search is the top online information source

41

Purchase decision support – train travel

Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked train travel n=105


Offline (net)




Radio


TV

39%

24%

13%

10%

9%

5%

3%

Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Train travel bookers

Online (net)


Search engines

Tourism web pages



Social networks

Relevant forums


Videos portals

Blogs

72%

28%

23%

17%

12%

12%

9%

7%

5%

3%

3%

Booking decisions for train tickets are typically prepared on the internet – train operator websites and search engines are the leading sources

Air travel

72%39%

81%69%

78%62%

78%79%

50%55%

77%78%

80%81%

Path to purchase Online sources play a major role in the path to purchase for travel products: almost every traveller uses them for starting research (finding inspirations & destination) on trips. For decision-making online information sources are often even outpacing offline sources. When it comes to the actual purchase the spread of online differs per product: Online bookings clearly first choice for booking flights and strong for accommodation. ROPO-effect (research online – purchase offline) visible for travel packages, bus and train travel.

Finding inspiration Decision support

42

Finding destinations

Purchase

65%66%

85%25%

42%66%

25%73%

17%83%

66%62%

69%32%

49%65%

24%82%

26%80%

Short trips Holiday trips

Online Offline Accommodation Travel package Bus travel Train travel

Base: Travellers of the past 12 months Base: Bookers per travel product

Base: Travellers of the past 12 months

Base: Bookers per travel product (short trip)

Base: Bookers per travel product (holiday trip)


* *

1 day (direct booking)

less than one week

between 1-2 weeks

between 3-4 weeks

between 1-2 months

between 3-6 months

more than 6 months

Cannot remember

32%

44%

17%

4%

1%

1%

7%

0%

14%

35%

27%

13%

8%

2%

0%

6%

How long did you inform yourself before you made a booking? Travellers who booked a short / holiday trip

43 43

Time frame from research to booking

Q26: How long did you inform yourself before you booked the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers who booked a short trip=878; holiday trip n=830


76% of the short trip bookers made

their booking within one week

The vast majority of the short trip travellers made their booking within one week – holiday trips require a somewhat longer research phase

Most useful information sources

Friends or colleagues

Search engines

Tourism web pages

Websites of travel agencies/portals






TV

Most useful information sources – Top 10 Travellers of the past 12 months

Q28: Which of the following information sources is from your perspective most useful for informing about holiday trips? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970

22%

18%

14%

10%

8%

6%

4%

3%

3%

3%

Online sources with search engines in the lead are perceived as very useful for travel research – only personal talks score better

44

45

1 The internet serves as an important research source along the path to purchase on travel products and is considered in every stage of the pre-purchase research.

2 Almost every traveller uses the internet for starting research on trips (finding inspirations and destinations). For decision-making online information sources are often even outpacing offline sources.

3 Overall online information sources are across the board considered on a higher variety level than offline sources: For offline research personal consultancy (with friends or family) is the key source whereas for online research various sources (provider websites, tourism pages, and particularly search engines) contribute.

4 Search engines are always among the top frequently used online sources and provide valuable guidance to other sites such as provider sites or tourism pages.

5 Research time prior to a booking depends on the trip type: The vast majority of the short trip travellers researched up to one week in advance of the booking – holiday trips require a somewhat longer research phase.

Wrap up research behaviour

46 46

Summary

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1 Greek onliners are frequent travellers: 75% spend both at least one short trip (up to 5 days) and at least one holiday trip (more than 5 days) in the past 12 months.

2 When going on a trip Greek onliners typically stay domestic: the vast majority spend their short or holiday trips within Greece. Accordingly the most popular travel product are accommodation bookings.

3 Online information sources play a major role in the path to purchase: almost every traveller uses them for starting research (finding inspirations & destination) on trips. For decision-making online sources are often even outpacing offline sources.

4 The internet is an established booking channel for travel products. However, its spread differs per product: Online bookings are clearly first choice for booking flights and strong as well for accommodation bookings. ROPO-effects are visible for travel package bookings as well as bus and train travel bookings.

5 Search engines are widely used in every research phase and they serve as an important navigator to relevant information sources: 8 out of 10 online researchers start on search in order to find travel information.

6 Presence on search engines with a variety of relevant terms enables presence in the online research process and subsequently relevance for the purchase decision.

Summary

media touchpoints in the consumer path to purchase library/gr...media touchpoints in the consumer...

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